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I work in the part of the industry that is governed by HUD Fair Market Rents. Basically, HUD states how much it is willing to pay for a unit based market conditions. The rate is not designed to pay for "nice" units, merely ones that can meet the quality and habitability standards.

Efficiency $1,183

One-Bedroom $1,280

Two-Bedroom $1,424

Three-Bedroom $1,752

Four-Bedroom $1,970

The only places we obtain for these rates are really far from Manhattan and/or in a state of bad repair and/or are in really violent neighborhoods.

However, I know that if HUD were to increase the rates, it would make the disparity between what they pay to house poor/disabled people in NYC vs the rest of the country even greater, which will be politically and financially untenable.

Needless to say, this same funding could get you a really nice apartment in many parts of the country. In those parts, the HUD FMR funds available are far less, but you still end up with a nicer unit....

Wow, I really didn't like my first place in the Slope but I had it made. $550 for a decent-sized studio in 1994. Of course, the only closet was in the bathroom so your clothes would get mildewed in the summer, it was roach infested, everybody else in the building except the stoner guy seemed permanently angry and prone to barn-burning fight with their partners on a weekly basis, and...well that was pretty much it, so not too bad!

Yes, such nicer rooms are available not only on the basis of being able to pay more, but also on factors that make one more attractive/suitable as an apartment/house mate.

Typically these to include:

-Having good credit

-Being able to put down first months rent, plus security

-Being employed

-Being the same gender as the leaseholder

-Being approximately the same age

-Sharing similar interests

-Making a good impression....

My sense is that those who don't/can't succeed at these things, end up renting a room from someone who can not be selective, which is often correlated to the location and neighborhood of the room available for rent.

Yes, such nicer rooms are available not only on the basis of being able to pay more, but also on factors that make one more attractive/suitable as an apartment/house mate.

Typically these to include:

-Having good credit

-Being able to put down first months rent, plus security

-Being employed

-Being the same gender as the leaseholder

-Being approximately the same age

-Sharing similar interests

-Making a good impression....

My sense is that those who don't/can't succeed at these things, end up renting a room from someone who can not be selective, which is often correlated to the location and neighborhood of the room available for rent.

...although the story covers a venue that cater to Chinese immigrants, and those with psychiatric disabilities and drug addictions, there are similar ones in Richmond Hill area that cater to people from India.

The city is in the following position: If it closes them, it has to offer them with housing in the shelter system. ...a system that is presently over flowing, expensive to run, and has long lengths of stay as a result of the city's soaring rents.

It is difficult to "offer" such housing on a large scale in NYC. However, as I expect to see more people living in really cramped quarters as the cost of housing continues to rise for those unable to access housing for the disabled.

Well, the landlord may not have consented but I'll bet he knew about it. I wonder how much of the extra rent he got but I guess it'll all come out in court. I insure the building next door but I don't know how much damage was done to it as there hasn't been a claim made yet.

The dirty secret is that many of these landlords receive payment directly from HRA.

They receive $215 per month per resident. HRA doesn't check with DOB to see whether the units are illegally subdivided, or how many people are presently registered in the HRA system as living at the address.

The story doesn't dig to the next level and point out that HRA is paying the bills, nor does it point out how DOB and FDNY have been told to not enforce the building codes as a result of the city's shelter crisis: